Fruit-box press.



E. S. SUTTON.

FRUIT Box PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14| 1916.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

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FRUIT BOX PRESS.

APPLICATION man sEPT.14. T916.

` ,237,971 r Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

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FRUIT-BOX` PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

p Patented. aug. 2i, ieri.

Application filed September 14, 1916. Serial No. 120,080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE S. SUTTON, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Leavenworth, in the county of Chelan and lState of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Box Presses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements "in machines for pressingand.packing fruit in crates, boxes and similar containers prepara tory to shipment.

It is well known that when boxes of fruit of various kinds are packed, the top layers gei'ierally extends an inch orso above the top of the box so that it is necessary in some manner to force the ends of the slats which form the cover down so that they may be readily nailed to the ends of the box. My invention is designed to press and hold down the slats forming the cover of the fruit box until. they are nailed in position.

The principal object of the invention is to provide `a very simply constructed machine which canbe inexpensively manufactured and yet which will be very eficient in operation. i u

t An additional object is to provide a very simply constructed frame for use in con nection with the other parts of the machine for. more quickly and readily forcing 4the slats into position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the numerous features "of construction and arrangement of parts which will hereinafter be more `fully described and claimed.

i In the accompanying drawings z-f Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box press constructedin accordance with my in-v plane of Fig. 3.

In the several figures of the drawings, I

have shown my invention constructed in the preferred manner, it consisting broadly of a suitable supporting table .1 having a top or platform 2 supported by legs or the like 3, upon which a crate or box C containing fruit is positioned, while the cover is forced into place by an improved press which will later be more particularly described. The table is suitably braced and constructed any desired size depending upon the size of the crates which are to be disposed thereon.

At the rear corners of the table, uprights 4 'are disposed and secured rigidly in any desired manner, and between these uprights is a support 5, its lower end being secured to the top of the table, while its upper end is braced by the cross bar 6 which connects the upper ends of the uprights 4. The support 5 is designed to carry a cam lever 7 which is pivoted between outwardly extending spaced apart arms 8, said arms projecting from the support 5 adjacent its connection with the brace bar 6. The support 5 is substantially in the middle of the platform 2 and at itsl rear edge, and therefore the lever 7 is extended over the central portion of the latter.

On the top or platform 2 at its side edges is secured the carriage by which a crate may be readily moved into position beneath the operating lever 7. This carriage comprises a pair of roller carrying rails 9, one of which is disposed at each side edge of the platform 2 and has a plurality of rollers 10 upon which the crate C rests. In order to guide the crate during its movement from the front of the platform to the rear thereof, suitable guide strips 11 are secured to the rails 9 as shown. These strips are spaced apart a distance to receive a crate of ordinary length.- A stop strip 12 valso is disposed at the rear edge ofthe platform 2 and coperates with the support 5 to limit the movement of the crate.

After the filled crate C has been moved `is provided engages the frame 14 and presses the ends of the slats 13 into engagement with the ends of the crate. This cam lever is so pivoted between the-arms B that it will stay in its lowered or clamping position without holding, thus allowing the cleats 16 to be nailed across the ends of the slats 13.

'Ihe frame 14 is constructed of a pairor more longitudinal strips 17 depending upon the width .ofthe crate upon which it is to be used, anda pair of transverse end pieces or strips 18, one of which connects each end of said strips 17. A bearing member in the forln of 'a' rather wide transverse strip 19 is secured across the central portion or the strips 17 and receives the pressure from f theoperating lever 7, the cam 15 of the latter'contactingtherewith. Each ot the strips 17 has its lowery face recessed in its intermediate portions, thus forming enlarged depending'parts 20 at each end. The strips 1Sare secured to these enlarged parts 20, thus when the frame is engaged with the slots 13', the bottom edges of the strips 18 will be the onlyl parts which come into contact therewith, the central portion ot the 1 ramebeing spaced a considerable distance above the central portions of the strips. This arrangementpermits the ends of the slats to' be forced downwardly into engagementi with the ends of `the crate' without pressing the fruit in the central part of the container. yAny other means might be em- -ployedfor extending the ends of the frame to'support'fslats'orl cleats on the holders, the

same maybe pressed inwardly beneath the platform 2, this beingallowed by the seats 22 which are Vformed in the brace bars 23.

In such a `machine as above described,

'fc'overs may be vapplied to crates with greaterv rapidity than with machines now 'on the market because' 'of the fact of the improved construction of the clamping or pressing frame and the'cam lever which operates therewith.

The few' y'parts of which the machine is constructed allows the same to be manufactured very inexpensively and readily repaired. f

I claimtl `1. In a deviceof the'class described, a

opies: of thspatentlmay be obtained for Vhen the matable adapted to supporty a crate, clamping means movable toward and away from the top of said table, and a clamping frame disposed on said crate and comprising a longitudinally extending strip, the end portions of said strip being extended below the plane of the bottom of the intermediate portion and engaged with the cover of said crate.

2. In a device of the class described, a table adapted to support a crate, clamping means movable towardV and away fromthe top of said table, and a clamping frame to be disposed on said crate and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending strips, said strips engaging said cover, and atransverse bearing strip connecting the center portions of the other strips, said strip being engaged by said clamping means.

3. In a device of the class described, a table adapted to support a crate, clamping means movable toward and away from the top of said table, and a clamping frame to be disposed on said crate and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending strips, the end portions of said strips being extendedbelowv the plane of the bottoms of the intermediate portions and engaged with the cover of said crate.y

4l. In a device of the class described, a table adapted to support a crate, clamping means movable toward and away from the top of said table, and a clamping frame to be disposed on said crate and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending strips, the end portions of said strips beingextended below the plane of the bottoms of the intermediate portions, ltransverse cleats connecting the bottoms of said' extended portions and engaging the cover of said crate, and a transverse bearing strip' secured to the tops of said longitudinally extending strips, said strip being'engaged by said clamping means. f

5. In a device of the class described, a table adapted to support a crate, a support disposed at one side of the table, a pair of bearing arms secured to the support, a

clamping lever pivotedbetween said arms, said lever being disposed over the center portions of said table, and a cam on said lever adjacent' its'pivot, said cam being adapted to engage the cover of saidcrate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. T l

EUGENE SILAS SUTTON.

Vitnesses:

CLARENCE A. CAMrBELL, R. B. GILBERT. f

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of'Patenjzs, Washington, 13.0. n 

